The present invention relates to an image capturing system wherein a digital copying machine, for example, is used as a shared scanner which is connected to a network and is used by a plurality of users.
In these years, an image capturing system using a scanner shared by a plurality of users has been used, for example, in an environment in which a digital copying machine serving as a shared scanner and a plurality of personal computers (PCs) used by the users are connected by a network.
In this image capturing system, a user who intends to perform a document scanning operation goes to the digital copying machine serving as the shared scanner and instructs it to perform the document scanning operation. The scanned image is sent to a storage section in the PC of the associated user or a server, and then the user instructs the PC to perform an image processing operation.
Accordingly, the user is required to perform a great number of user operation steps from the scanning of the document to the execution of processing of the scanned image. These steps are complicated and time-consuming.
In addition, the digital copying machine serving as a shared scanner can be used by anyone. In order to associate the respective users with processes available for only specified users, it is necessary to register and manage all user information, and the user has to perform a user operation for a user verification step, which is time-consuming.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image capturing system wherein when a document is scanned by a scanner shared by a plurality of users, operations for executing a process for a scanned image are simple and easy to understand.
Another object of the invention is to provide an image capturing system wherein an operation available for only a specified user can be set, and a process available for only a specified user can be executed by simple and easy-to-understand operations.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an image capturing system shared by a plurality of users, the system comprising:
scanning means for scanning an image of a document in a plurality of scan modes;
setting means for setting scan jobs, which consist of a process to scan an image of a document in a scan mode and a process to execute a job on the image of the document scanned in the scan mode, in association with instruction keys; and
executing means for scanning, when the instruction key associated with the scan job by the setting means has been designated, the document in the scan mode of the scan job associated with the designated instruction key, and executing the process set by the scan job on the scanned image.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image capturing system shared by a plurality of users, the system comprising:
scanning means for scanning an image of a document in a plurality of scan modes;
first setting means for setting scan jobs, which consist of a process to scan an image of a document in a scan mode and a process to execute a job on the image of the document scanned in the scan mode, in association with instruction keys;
second setting means for setting a plurality of select screens for selecting the instruction keys set by the first setting means;
designating means for designating one of the select screens set by the second setting means;
displaying means for displaying the select screen designated by the designating means; and
executing means for executing the scan job associated with the instruction key by the first setting means when the instruction key has been designated from the select screen displayed by the displaying means.
According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image capturing method for an image scanning system shared by a plurality of users and having scanning means for scanning an image of a document in a plurality of scan modes, the method comprising the steps of:
setting scan jobs, which consist of a process to scan an image of a document in a scan mode and a process to execute a job on the image of the document scanned in the scan mode, in association with instruction keys; and
scanning, when the instruction key associated with the scan job by the setting step has been designated, the document in the scan mode of the scan job associated with the designated instruction key, and executing the process set by the scan job on the scanned image.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.